Prof. Dr. Samuel N. Ayonghe

Born in Cameroon in 1956, Professor Ayonghe studied in the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1988 and obtained a PhD in Petroleum Geophysics from Imperial College, University of London. He served in the Ministry of Mines, Yaounde, until 1990, was recruited at the University of Yaounde in 1993, and transferred to the newly created University of Buea in 1993, where he served in positions of Head of Department, Vice-Dean, Dean of the Faculty of Science, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Internal Control and Evaluation. He is currently Rector of HIBMAT University Institute, Buea. His research interests are in Environmental Geology and Geophysics, especially on aspects of climate change trends and impacts on natural hazards and disasters, water resources, agriculture, and health. He has served in national and international positions as Secretary General of the Geological Society of Africa; President of the Geoscience Society of Cameroon and of the National Scientific Committee on Monitoring Eruptions of Mt Cameroon; and Board Member of the International Science Council for Africa. He recently served as a member of the Africa Science and Technology Advisory Group of the African Union on Disasters representing Central Africa, and is currently a Fellow, 2nd Vice-President, and Chair of the Climate Change Forum of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences.